Binghamton History: The Mysterious Sound

I have been delving into the history of Greater Binghamton and thanks to Broome County Historian, Gerald Smith, discovered this gem. I have never heard the story and I don't believe many who live hear have either.

It was 1895, a time of great prosperity for Binghamton. Business was booming and so was the population, thanks mainly to immigration. As the City went about its business on January 2, 1895, a sudden eerie sound began to fill the streets. It was loud and low and continued for some time. According to local newspaper accounts, about a thousand people poured onto Court Street to investigate. They believed the sound to be coming from a strange wild animal.

After quite a while, someone discovered the source of the sound that had Binghamton's panties in a bunch: the whistle from a nearby foundry! It had not been used until that day.

Why did it take so long to figure it out? Well, the area was growing so fast that new things, like the foundry and its whistle were popping up everywhere.